Car-door lock.



J. C. FOSTER CAR DOOR LOCK.

APPLICATlON FILED mac. 7. 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Mar. 21

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH .co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. C. FOSTER.

CAR DOOR LOCK.

APPLICATION mzo DEC. 1, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

THE cuLUMBlA PMNOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN C. FOSTER, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF '10 ROBERT W. PATTEN, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

GAR-DOOR LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 191%.

Application filed December 7, 1914. Serial No. 875,905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. FosTnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Door Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car door locks and particularly to looks for freight car doors and the object of this invention is to provide a lock which cannot be operated except from the top of the car, whereby anyone attempting to unlock the car door will be in full view of the crew of the train or others who are employed to watch freight trains when standing on a siding or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a door lock which is entirely on the inside of the car and cannot be seen or reached from the outside except from the top of the car.

Another object is to provide a lock which is also adapted for use in securing hinged as well as sliding doors, by modifications which are entirely within the spirit of this invention.

Briefly, my invention comprises a door having a metallic bolt-receiving latch mounted on the inside of said door, a bolt adapted to engage said latch, the bolt being held by suitable guiding and clamping means, in the lower portion of a tube which extends downward from the roof of the car near the car wall. The bolt is suitably limited in its upward, downward, and rotary movement by stop shoulders and guide grooves and carries on its upper end a threaded stem on which a key-rod is adapted to fit, the rod extending downward through the tube from the top of the car with its lower end interiorly threaded so as to permit the latch bolt to be raised.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and the combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of that part of the car adjacent the lock, showing the door in open position; Fig. 2 is a central vertical trans verse section taken through the device shown in Fig. 1 when the door is closed; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the top of the tube showing the particular construction of the tube cover; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the key-rod; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the latch bolt; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a car having double doors and showing means whereby either door may be locked; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a car having hinged doors, showing the modification of the locking means for use on such doors; Fig. 9 is a central vertical section of the upper end of the tube shown in Fig. 1, modified to adapt the device for use with hinged doors; Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views of the half-tubes forming the bolt chamber; Fig. 12 is a sectional detail showing the relative locked position of the latch plate and bolt adapted to look only one door; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the latch bolt adapted to lock doors from either side; Fig. 14 is a sectional detail showing the relative locked position of the latch plate and bolt adapted to lock doors which approach from either direction.

Referring to the figures by numerals, the car 1 is provided with a door 2, which carries, on its inside wall, a plate 3 and attached thereto is a metal keeper 4 with a recess for receiving the latch bolt 18. Located adjacent the joist of the car 1, part of which is cut away as shown at 5 are two columns 6 and 7 which support the locking mechanism inside the car. To the lower end of column 7 is fastened one half 8 of a hollow split cylinder. The other half 8 of the cylinder is held in place against part 8 by means of a metal band 24 which bears against part 8 and is fastened at one end by screws to column 6. (Fig. 1). Both parts 8 and 8 are provided near their upper ends with inwardly projecting annular shoulders 9, which when the parts are in position, form an inner ring with a small central opening through which the threaded stem 19 of latch bolt 18 passes. This inner ring also forms a stop rest for the lower end of tube 10 and also limits the movement upwardly of bolt 18. The part 8 is in addition provided with an inwardly projecting shoulder 25 at its lower end similar to the one at its upper end and forming a stop for latch bolt 18. Extending vertically clownward from the shoulders 9 on the inside of parts 8 and 8 are two oppositely disposed guide bars 23 (Figs. 2 and 3). In each half lower end resting on shoulders 9, is a tube 10 which has in its lower ends holes 11 on the same level with holes 11 Halfway up tube 1.0 are two small inwardly projecting lugs 12 adapted to stop the movement of key-rod 16, except when it is properly inserted into tube 10. The upper end of tube 10 as it passes through the roof, comprises an enlarged portion 18, consisting of two tubes 13 and 13 The dividing wall 13 between these two tubes is cut awayslightly in its upperpart and entirely in its lower part providing a connecting passage between the two for key-rod 16. The tube 13 has at its lower end, which opens into the interior of the car, two inwardly projecting stop lugs 14. The top of tubes 13 and 13 is provided with a cover 15 which may be locked in any suitable manner. The top of tube 13 is partly closed by a fixed cover 16, a part 01' which is cut away to form a groove 16*, so that key-rod 16 can be inserted in tube 13 and then slid over into tube 13. Positioned within the split cylinder 8 is a latch bolt 18, which has two oppositely disposed vertical grooves 20 in its sides, which are adapted to register with the guide-bars 23. The lower portion of the latch bolt 18 has a beveled surface 22 which contacts with the edge of latch 1, and is cut away to half the thickness of the upper portion, whereby the shoulder 21 is formed. This shoulder 21 rests upon the shoulder 25 of the fixed part 8 of split cylinder 8. Extending upward from the body portion of latch bolt 18 is a threaded stem 19 of such size as to enable it to pass through the opening in the annular ring formed by shoulders 9, 9, on the upper end of split cylinder 8, and extends above said opening a slight distance. The vertical distance between shoulders 9 and 25 is considerably longer than the length of the body portion of latch bolt 18, so that quite a little movement of the latch-bolt is provided for.

Adapted to be introduced into tube 10 is a' key-rod 16 having an enlarged lower end which has therein a vertical interiorlythreaded bore, to thread onto stem 19, and oppositely disposed vertical grooves 17 on its outer face which are adapted to register with lugs 12. The upper end of key-rod 16 is provided with a suitable handle.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 there are two doors, 2 being a latticed door for summer use and 2 being the same, as shown in Fig. 1. The door 2 is provided as shown, with a plate 3 and a latch 4: the same as above described. To look the doors 2 and 2 which approach the bolt 18 from opposite directions, the form of bolt shown in Fig.

inside of door 2.

13 is used. In this bolt the lower portion 22 has two beveled surfaces which so join with the upper portion-of the bolt 18 as to form two recesses or grooves a, a, as shown.

When, therefore, a latch plate 41 approaches from either direction the boltv 18 is lifted and then drops into the latch plate as shown. The latch plate 4 (Fig. 1 1) is provided at the upper side of the forward edge of the recess a with a backwardly curved lip which projects into the groove a whenever the latchplate 4 is moved backward. However, the engagement of the lip and the groove a" does not prevent the bolt 18 from being raised by the key-rod 16.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 8, shows this device adapted for use on cars which have hinged or swinging doors. 7 In this modification the tube 10, split cylinder 8, and latch bolt 18 are all carried on the Thelatch 4 is located on the floor of the car. 7 The upper part of 7 tube 10 is located in the same part of the roof as before and is out off from the lower part, but, when the doors are closed, registers therewith. The door 2 is of such width as to be overlapped by the part 2 of door 2-(Fig. 7) when the doors are closed, thus locking door 2. As shown in Fig. 9, the diameter of tube 13 is made slightly larger than that of tube 10-for a reason to be hereinafter explained. In all other details, the parts of these various modifications are the same as previously described.

To operate the device, one mounts to the roof of the car and unlocks cover 15. The key-rod 16 is then inserted into tube 13*. The relative size of the groove 16 and the lower end of the key-rod 16 prevents the key-rod from being inserted directly into tube 13". The key-rod 16 is then moved sidewise through the opening in the dividing wall 13 between tubes 13 and 13 and is then in a position tobe lowered into tube 10. The stop lugs 14; at the bottom of-tube 13 are to carry key 16 over to main tube 13, and tube 12c is mainly used as a false tube which tends to deceive one not acquainted with the lock, and also to prevent anything other than the key 16 from beinginserted in the main tube 13. When the lower portion of the key-rod 16 reaches'the shoulders 9, 9, its inner threaded bore engages that part of the threaded stem 19 which extends upward beyond the shoulders 9. By turning the key-rod 16, said rod is threaded onto stem 19, whereby the latch bolt 18 is lifted out of the recess in latch 4:, whereby the door 2 can be moved to open it. Before the keyrod 16 reaches the bottom of tube 10, it strikes the lugs 12 and these again act to deceive one strange to the operation of the device, in that the key-rod 16 has to be rotated slightly until grooves 17 register with lugs 12, whereupon the rod may be lowered.

Any dirt or moisture which may collect in tube 10 is carried away by the provison of the holes 11 and 11 in tube 10 and split cylinder 8, respectively. The latch-bolt 8 cannot drop out of cylinder 8, because of the contact of shoulders 21 and 25. It likewise can only move upward until its upper face abuts shoulders 9. It is prevented from rotating by the registration of grooves 20 and guide bars 23. To close the door it is merely necessary to move the door to the left (Fig. 1), whereupon the latch strikes the beveled edge of latch-bolt l8 and raises it until latch 4 passes under the latch-bolt l8, whereupon said bolt 18 drops into the recess in latch I and locks the door. The modification shown in Fig. 7 operates in the same way. The location of the plates 3, 3 and latches 4, a are merely such as would be commonly evident to permit two doors to be locked.

In Fig. 8, door 2 is closed, and afterward door 2. The latch-bolt 18 and latch 4; engage as before. The overlapping portion 2 of door 2 prevents the doors 2 from being opened.

I claim 1. In a car-door look, a keeper, a latch bolt and keyrod having a detachable screwthreaded engaging means, a tube surrounding the key-rod extending to the top of the car, and cooperating lugs and grooves on the tube and rod to prevent insertion of the rod except in one position.

2. In a car-door lock having a keeper and a latch-bolt and key-rod with detachable screw-threaded engaging means, a tube surrounding the key-rod extending to the top of the car, a slotted cover for the upper end of the tube, and adjacent said upper end, an open-topped tubular enlarged portion.

8. In a car-door lock, having a keeper and a latch-bolt and key-rod with detachable screw-threaded means, a tube surrounding the key-rod extending to the top of the car, a slotted cover for the upper end of the tube, adjacent said upper end, an open topped tubular enlarged portion, and a hin 'ed lid covering the ends of both tubes.

a. In a car-door lock, a keeper, a latch bolt and key-rod having a detachable screwthreaded engaging means, a tube surrounding the key-rod extending to the top of the car, said tube having at its lower end apertured shoulders, a shouldered latch bolt located between the shoulders and having a screw-threaded stem extending through the upper aperture and a latch portion extending through the lower aperture.

5. In a car-door lock, a keeper, a latch.

bolt and key-rod having a detachable screw-- 6. In a car-door lock having a tube and abolt with a screw-threaded stem and means for maintaining said bolt at the loWer end of said tube, a key-rod having an interiorly screw-threaded enlargement at its lower end, a slotted cover for the upper end of the tube and an open-ended tubular enlargement adjacent said upper end and of greater depth than the enlarged end of the keyrod, whereby the enlarged end of the keyrod may be inserted into the enlargement and the stem of the key-rod may be moved laterally through the slot.

7. In a car-door lock, a keeper, a latch bolt and key-rod having a detachable screwthreaded engaging means, a tube surrounding the key-rod extending to the top of the car, means for preventing the direct insertion of the key-rod into the tube, a short tube into which the key-rod may be inserted, said tubes provided with connecting passages whereby the key-rod may be brought into position over the main tube.

8. In a car-door look, a keeper, a latchbolt and key-rod having a detachable screwthreaded engaging means, means extending from the latch-bolt to the top of the car for guiding said key-rod to said latch-bolt, a tube in the top of the car and cooperating lugs and grooves on the tube and the rod to prevent the insertion of the rod except in one position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. WILLIAMS, THoMAs BRICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

